Hosta ‘Patriot’
I think Hosta ‘Patriot’ is an especially beautiful hosta because of the contrast between the very dark leaves and their pure white margins. I have several Patriots in my gardens and all started with roots I purchased from a local nursery a couple of years ago. Patriot is a sport of Francee, and I have read that when it was introduced in 1992, the first plants sold for $875! Supposedly there was a brief period of confusion when Patriot and another Francee sport, Minuteman, were mislabeled. Although the roots I purchased were clearly labeled as Patriot, I have always wondered if some of them were Minuteman instead, because some of my Patriots have leaves with wider margins than the others, and with some, the leaves are a darker green and the margin is a whiter white… all characteristics of Minuteman over Patriot. Patriot produces a limited number of seed pods, although mine must not know that because they produce an abundance of pods every year, and seeds that germinate easily. The resulting seedlings grow very quickly and have almost black-green leaves. Patriot was the 1997 Hosta of the Year.
Leaves:
8 inches long, 6 inches wide
1/2 to 1-inch white margin
10 to 12 vein pairs
Flowers:
lavender
blooms late July to early August
30-inch high scapes
Mound size:
50 inches in diameter
23 inches high
Written by Shirley | Filed Under Hosta, Plants in my Gardens, Voluntary Simplicity
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